- Takahashi, Nozomi;
- Harada, Miyuki;
- Hirota, Yasushi;
- Nose, Emi;
- Azhary, Jerilee MK;
- Koike, Hiroshi;
- Kunitomi, Chisato;
- Yoshino, Osamu;
- Izumi, Gentaro;
- Hirata, Tetsuya;
- Koga, Kaori;
- Wada-Hiraike, Osamu;
- Chang, R Jeffrey;
- Shimasaki, Shunichi;
- Fujii, Tomoyuki;
- Osuga, Yutaka
Recent studies report the involvement of intra-ovarian factors, such as inflammation and oxidative stress, in the pathophysiology of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common endocrine disorder of reproductive age women. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is a local factor that affects various cellular events during a broad spectrum of physiological and pathological conditions. It may also be an important determinant of pro-fibrotic remodeling during tissue fibrosis. In the present study, we showed that ER stress was activated in granulosa cells of PCOS patients as well as in a well-established PCOS mouse model. Pharmacological inducers of ER stress, tunicamycin and thapsigargin, were found to increase the expression of pro-fibrotic growth factors, including transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, in human granulosa cells, and their expression also increased in granulosa cells of PCOS patients. By contrast, treatment of PCOS mice with an ER stress inhibitor, tauroursodeoxycholic acid or BGP-15, decreased interstitial fibrosis and collagen deposition in ovaries, accompanied by a reduction in TGF-β1 expression in granulosa cells. These findings suggest that ER stress in granulosa cells of women with PCOS contributes to the induction of pro-fibrotic growth factors during ovarian fibrosis, and that ER stress may serve as a therapeutic target in PCOS.